World Series: Did You Know?

The first batter Nolan Ryan faced in the Fall Classic was Paul Blair. And later on in the same game, Ryan faced him again. Both times, it was with the bases loaded. It was also the only World Series Ryan ever pitched in.

The 1969 New York Mets were trying to pull off an upset of the great Baltimore Orioles in 1969. The Orioles, out to win it all again (Having blown away the Los Angeles Dodgers in four straight three years earlier), beat Tom Seaver and company, 4-1 in the opener in Baltimore. Jerry Koosman tried to equal things in the second contest, and it was the Mets squeaked by with a 2-1 win. All tied up, and heading to The Big Apple.

Game three at Shea Stadium matched Baltimore's Jim Palmers with New York Gary Gentry. Tommie Agee got the home squad off on the right foot as he hit a Palmer pitch right over Paul Blair's head in centre for a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first. The Mets were ahead to stay.

Gentry himself doubled home two more runs the next inning, and it was quickly 3-0, New York. Could Baltimore retaliate?

Well, they put two men on the very next inning, and Elrod Hendricks came to the dish. With two strikes on him, Elrod sent one to left centre. Agee, the Mets centre fielder, raced for it. He finally snagged it with a backhand stab just in front of the 396 sign. That saved the home team from having their lead to just a single run.

Gentry allowed the Orioles another two base runners in the top of the sixth. With two away, Frank Robinson drew a walk. When Boog Powell singled, it was time for Nolan Ryan to get up in the Mets' bullpen and start throwing. Brooks Robinson (Not related to Frank) was the next batter for the O's.

Gentry fell behind in the count 3-1, in danger of loading the bases. But on the next pitch, Robinson sent a tame fly to Art Shamsky in right to end that. The next inning proved to be Gentry's last, however.

New York got another run of Jim Palmer in the bottom of the frame, for some more breathing room. Now ahead 4-0, the home team looked to have it all under control. The roof then nearly caved in.

Hendricks led off the top of the seventh by sending Agee to the warning tracks the other way. In right. Agee made the putout on the long, loud out. When Davey Johnson flied to centre, Gentry seemed to be on cruise control. Suddenly, his control eluded him. Three straight walks loaded the bases. Paul Blair was the batter. However, Gary Gentry was no longer the pitcher. Manager Gil Hodges had seen enough. Nolan Ryan hopped in with a 4-0 lead, but the tying run at the plate. So this was a save situation.

Blair sent one to right centre. Agee had a beat on this one, too. He finally caught up with it, made a desperate dive, and made a terrific catch to stop Baltimore from scoring two, or possibly three runs.

The eighth inning was a little less eventfull for Nolan. Ryan fanned both Boog Powell and Brooks Robinson in a 1-2-3 top of the eighth Before that, though, it was Frank Robinson sending Agee all the way to the wall with a powerful drive. Agee caught it with his back to the fence. The Mets, meanwhile scored again in the last of the eighth, their fifth and final tally of the game.

The ninth inning saw Elrod Hendricks and Davey Johnson fly to Shamsky. Ryan seemed to have it all together. But then Mark Belanger. Pinch hitter Clay Dalrymple was sent to bat for the pitcher. Dalrymple sent a grounder just past the mound to Ryan's left. The ball continued to centre. Al Weis got to it, and tried to get Belanger at second. The throw was too late. Chico Salmon came on to bat for Dalrymple, who had been credited with an infield single. It was the first hit by the O's off Ryan,

It was back to the top of the lineup for the Orioles. That was enough of a concern for Gil Hodges that Tug McGraw and Ron Taylor began to loosen up in the New York Mets' bullpen. Don Buford drew the second walk of the inning for Baltimore (After sending a long foul ball into the stands in left). And that brought Blair back up. And the bases were loaded again.

Although up 5-0, New York couldn't afford to give up any ground here. Baltimore had probably given this up as a loss, but you never know with the bases loaded. Weren't the Orioles due?

It was conference time on the mound as Hodges decided to leave Ryan in. Quickly, he got ahead of Blair 0-2. The next pitch curveball that umpire Larry Napp called a strike! Nolan Ryan had a save in his one and only Fall Classic appearance. More importantly, the Mets were up 2-1 on the Orioles courtesy of this 5-0 win. New York made sure to build on the momentum. The took game four 2-1, and wrapped it up at home with a 5-3 triumph in the fifth contest. The New York Mets were on top of the world in 1969. And Nolan Ryan made his solo appearance on baseball's grandest stage count.



References

Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 2005. Print.

Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series: Complete Play-by-play of Every Game, 1903-1989. 4th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1990. 327. Print.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 13 May 2016.

MLBClassics. "1969 World Series, Game 3: Orioles @ Mets." Online Video Clip. YouTube. YouTube, 11 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHSksQbNZD4>.